US9027929B2ActiveUtilityPatentIndex 48

Fluidic processor and method of use

Assignee: PICHA NEIL RPriority: Oct 7, 2010Filed: Sep 15, 2011Granted: May 12, 2015

Est. expiryOct 7, 2030(~4.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:PICHA NEIL R BLACK BRUCE D THOMPSON JONATHAN D

G01N 2035/00277G01N 30/468B01L 3/567G01N 2030/8411B01L 3/565G01N 30/463G01N 35/1097

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Claims

Abstract

A fluidic processor includes a first sealing member having a first sealing face, a first compressive face and at least one first sealing member fluid conduit; a second sealing member having a second sealing face, a second compressive face and at least one second sealing member fluid conduit; the second sealing face of the second sealing member being sealingly and slidingly engaged in a substantially fluid tight manner with the first sealing face of the first sealing member; and at least one actuator mechanically engaging at least one of the first sealing member and the second sealing member, or an XY stage, or mechanism that provides motion in two axes on one sealing member only.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluidic processor, comprising:
a first sealing member having a first sealing face, a first compressive face and at least one first sealing member fluid conduit;
a second sealing member having a second sealing face, a second compressive face and at least one second sealing member fluid conduit;
the second sealing face of the second sealing member being sealingly and slidingly engaged in a substantially fluid tight manner with the first sealing face of the first sealing member;
a first linear actuator mechanically engaging the first sealing member, the first linear actuator substantially aligned with an X axis of a Cartesian coordinate system; and
a second linear actuator mechanically engaging the second sealing member, the second linear actuator substantially aligned with a Y axis of the Cartesian coordinate system.

2. The fluidic processor of claim 1 further comprising at least one housing in fixed or sliding compressible engagement with at least one of the first sealing member and the second sealing member.

3. The fluidic processor of claim 1 further comprising a random access control system interfacing with the at least one actuator whereby make and break fluid communication is established between the at least one first sealing member fluid conduit and the at least one second sealing member fluid conduit by actuation of the at least one actuator in a substantially random manner.

4. The fluidic processor of claim 1 each of the first sealing member and the second sealing member is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of PPS, vespel, PEEK, acrylic, ultem, quartz, graphite, stainless, titanium, PTFE, ceramics, sorbent materials, and composites thereof.

5. The fluidic processor of claim 4 wherein each of the first sealing member and the second sealing member further comprises composites of the material or composites of the material filled with lubricious fillers.

6. The fluidic processor of claim 5 further comprising at least one internal fluid conduit disposed in fluid communication with the at least one second sealing member fluid conduit of the second sealing member.

7. The fluidic processor of claim 1 further comprising at least one hard lubricious coating on the first sealing member and the second sealing member.

8. The fluidic processor of claim 1 further comprising at least one inlet tube disposed in fluid communication with the at least one first sealing member fluid conduit of the first sealing member.

9. The fluidic processor of claim 1 further comprising a compressive force mechanism biasing the second sealing member against the first sealing member.

10. The fluidic processor of claim 9 wherein the compressive force mechanism comprises a belleville washer stack.

11. The fluidic processor of claim 10 further comprising at least one pressure disk between the belleville washer stack and the second sealing member.

12. The fluidic processor of claim 1 further comprising a Z-axis actuator mechanically engaging the second sealing member.

13. A fluidic processor, comprising:
a first housing having a first channel;
a first sealing member slidably disposed in the first channel and having a first sealing face, a first compressive face engaged by the first housing and at least one first sealing member fluid conduit;
a first linear actuator mechanically engaging the first sealing member, the first linear actuator substantially aligned with an X axis of a Cartesian coordinate system;
a second housing having a second channel oriented transverse to the first channel;
a second sealing member slidably disposed in the second channel and having a second sealing face, a second compressive face engaged by the second housing and at least one second sealing member fluid conduit;
the second sealing face of the second sealing member being sealingly and slidingly engaged in a substantially fluid tight manner with the first sealing face of the first sealing member;
a second linear actuator mechanically engaging the second sealing member, the second linear actuator substantially aligned with a Y axis of the Cartesian coordinate system.

14. The fluidic processor of claim 13 further comprising a random access control system interfacing with the at least one actuator whereby make and break fluid communication is established between the at least one first sealing member fluid conduit and the at least one second sealing member fluid conduit by actuation of the at least one actuator in a substantially random manner.

15. The fluidic processor of claim 13 further comprising a compressive force mechanism including a belleville washer stack and at least one pressure disk engaged by the belleville washer stack and biasing the second sealing member against the first sealing member.

16. The fluidic processor of claim 13 further comprising a Z-axis actuator mechanically engaging the second sealing member.

17. A fluidic processor, comprising:
a first housing having a first channel;
a first sealing member slidably disposed in the first channel and having a first sealing face, a first compressive face engaged by the first housing and at least one first sealing member fluid conduit;
a first actuator mechanically engaging the first sealing member;
a second housing having a second channel oriented transverse to the first channel;
a second sealing member slidably disposed in the second channel and having a second sealing face, a second compressive face engaged by the second housing and at least one second sealing member fluid conduit;
the second sealing face of the second sealing member being sealingly and slidingly engaged in a substantially fluid tight manner with the first sealing face of the first sealing member;
a seal assembly having a first seal engaged by the first sealing member, a second seal engaged by the first seal, a third seal engaged by the second seal and engaging the second sealing member, at least one fluid inlet conduit in the first seal and communicating with the at least one first sealing member fluid conduit of the first sealing member, at least one surface conduit in the second seal and communicating with the at least one fluid inlet conduit of the first seal and a fluid exit conduit in the third seal and communicating with the at least one surface conduit of the second seal and the at least one second sealing member fluid conduit of the second sealing member; and
a second actuator mechanically engaging the second sealing member.

18. The fluidic processor of claim 17 further comprising an optical fiber in the first seal and an optical exit fiber in the third seal.

19. The fluidic processor of claim 17 further comprising a compressive force mechanism including a belleville washer stack and at least one pressure disk engaged by the belleville washer stack and biasing the second sealing member against the first sealing member.

20. The fluidic processor of claim 17 further comprising a Z-axis actuator mechanically engaging the second sealing member.

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